Basically, an employee at a Brooklyn hospital called a patient’s family to inform them that their relative had died.  The family was obviously distraught and started to make funeral arrangements.  When they got to the hospital to take care of the legal matters and collect the belongings, they found their loved one still in the ICU, mechanically ventilated, but moving her limbs spontaneously.  They were shocked and were told that she hadn’t died, but that they were wrongly informed.  Of course this will probably result in a law suit that the hospital will have to settle; however, at this time the family is only asking that the employee who called them be fired.

There are some problems with the health care system that Obama will obviously not be able to change.

Another provision of the law allowed doctors to refuse to participate in the treatment of patients undergoing elective termination of pregnancy, which was also overturned.  This certainly stirs up some debate as to whether doctors can be forced to participate in something they feel is morally or ethically challenging.  The care of the patient, under whatever circumstance, should be the first priority.

Lastly, the Oklahoma law required clinics performing elective terminations to identify themselves by placing a sign or symbol on the outside of the building.  Thanks again, Judge Robertson, for getting rid of this discriminatory piece of legislature.  While it’s always beneficial for patients to find health care as easily as possible, this is not the way to do it.  If anyone has walked or driven by the outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic, you know that there is a religious-based posse of protesters harassing the patients who walk into the clinic, again trying to persuade them to think twice about having an abortion.  While it is the protesters’ First Ammendment-guaranteed right to be there having their voices heard, it is not the government’s right to advertise places for them to meet, with the result being more intimidation felt by the patients visiting these offices, whether they’re there for a pregnancy termination or other appointment.

You can find out more about individual state laws on elective termination of pregnancy by visiting the Guttmacher Institute.

You’ve probably seen this video on various web sites and television news programs.  It features Representative David Scott, a Democrat from Georgia, responding to a urologist’s question about his position on health care reform.  Scott scolds, or should I say, scalds the doctor for using a traffic meeting as an opportunity to have his voice heard.  The urologist waited until the end of the meeting to bring up the health care issue, after having contacted Scott’s office multiple times to arrange for a formal discussion specifically about health care and was denied.  It’s sad to see that our representatives are working so hard on reforming our health care system, but don’t want to hear the opinions of those they represent. This cup o’ joe really leaves a bad taste in the mouth…

Here are some brief high lights from the health care reform bill (HR 3200)

• national health care plan available to all individuals
  
• government committee overseeing allocation of resources
• physicians will have to participate in the plan, and the government will determine reimbursement rates
  
• employers must enroll employees in the plan, or they will be taxed

There continues to be a lot of coffee talk on the web about this issue, as well as in Congress.  An ammendment just passed on August 3rd that allows physicians and hospitals to negotiate payments rather than having to swallow the unacceptably low medicare rates previously proposed by the plan. Keep track of the latest revisions and ammendments to HR 3200 by going to GovTrack.